The Predators
Hailing from the world of Mardum, hidden deep within the Domain of Storms, did the Predators ascend to bring retribution to all of mankind's foes. Known as remarkable hunters, did the tribesmen of Andezo Sambedi follow their own path, which divided them from their brother Legions. If there was a target to chase down, the Predators were called and did not rest until their prey was annihilated. Regardless if their prey was a ruler, a general or an entire civilization, in the end, all would perish through the use of surgical strikes deep within their own lines. All culminating with a final ambush set by the sons of the Blind Primarch. By making use of fast and precise overwhelming might, did the Predators earn their right as the means by which the Emperor exacted retribution upon his enemies, no matter that they held no such role officially. When the time came to stand against their own brothers, which were led by none other than Icarion, none could say how the Insurrection might turn out for the sons of Mardum: would they be the killing blow, ending this heresy, or would they themselves fall into an unseen trap and face total extinction? Origins and History A striking blade within shadows, a persistent hunter in one’s neck – the Predators are humanity’s sudden and merciless execution. Since its inception on Terra, it has remained a Legion apart of its fellows, its origin being one of dogfights, anarchy and bloodshed. Still, the first generations of the XXth Legionnaires had a fearsome reputation for their warrior’s prowess as a shock-assault force as well as tireless pursuers and a peerless hunter-killer force. Because of their strong desire of independence and their ongoing power struggles, which made them barely controllable, were they by a hairbreadth disbanded as a Legion. That all changed, when a man known as Cassus rose to power and reformed the entire Legion, reshaping them into a disciplined force, which became the enforcers of the Emperor's will. Swift action and a joy for the rush of combat and clash of blades are the hallmarks of their battles, tempered by a strong honour code, which was imposed by their leader. Under his rulership, they became the Great Crusade's pathfinders, those who stalked the stars before all others, weakening the strong so that they might fall more easily to those who followed. Yet, after being newly unified with their gene-father, Andezo Sambedi, did the XXth Legion, then known as the Predators, change again. Emphasising too much trust into his subordinates, Andezo's actions led to the returning urge of independence within the ranks of his sons. Furthermore, their liability towards mysticism and desire to fight for humanity at all cost, may one day cost them more than they would have expected. 'The Unification Wars – The Emperor's Secret Blades' The origins of the XXth Legion, which will later be known as the Predators, can be found during the last years of the Unification Wars, though much of their early history is unrecorded or obscured by the passage of time. Of the early decades of the Unification Wars and further the Great Crusade, almost nothing can be said and even the cluster of myths and rumors that would later grow to surround the Legion's activities is absent. What remains instead are a few sparse but suggestive fragments, anomalous records of unknown Legiones Astartes units carrying out targeted strikes, abductions and assassinations, both on Terra and beyond, and reports of Space Marine units answering to no known masters or Legion allegiance passing through war zones on high priority missions and under the writ of unassailable clearance codes which broached no question. Divided in cells which worked nearly isolated from each other, they appeared out of nowhere, stroke down the Emperors foes and disappeared back into the shadows, leaving no traces behind. Rumors of ghosts and phantoms of fallen Astartes warriors quickly spread through the young Imperium. Of these ghost stories, the one telling of the Emperor’s arcane blades, which were send to haunt rebellious and restive worlds, was the most mentioned of them all. Only when their Primarch known as Andezo Sambedi was discovered, some rumors could be confirmed. For example, according to ancient Predators records, the Terrans who made up the XXth Legion possessed diverse origins, with "some having the flesh the color of charred firewood, for others it was as pale as our armor." By the time of the Great Crusade, Terran Aspirants were brought to the training centers of Imamdo on Terra. Here they underwent the selection process, and if chosen, the physical conditioning necessary to determine whether or not they were fit to become Space Marine Legionaries. Each cadre was chosen by a prospective Space Marine Legion. Before their Primarch would be found, they answered only to the Emperor and his closest advisor Malcador and it was indeed Malcador, who took care of them, acting as the Emperor's blades and judges of the Great Crusade which secured unstable systems, prevented rebellious uprisings and assassinated those who tried to use the Great Crusade success only for their own means. Some suggest that during this time the XXth Legion, without their lost Primarch, had a secret role to play in ensuring the Imperium's future. It has been suggested since the earliest days of the Great Crusade and the Emperor's great vision of a united humanity free of the shackles of torment of nightmarish enemies, as well as the threat of enemies without, there has remained the danger of the enemy within as has been proven time and again. Evidence for this hypothesis can be seen by the fact that the nascent Imperium of Man was plagued with rampant insurrections, petty rebellions and the dangerous plots of Renegades and Traitors. Such enemies had sunk into shadowed obscurity following bitter defiance and crushing conquests during the bloody wars of Unification, but yet plotted vengeance. Many were twisted by lust for power or tainted by exposure to the horrors beyond, and sought to pervert the Imperial Truth to their own ends. Therefore, the members of the XXth Legion fought in secrecy, isolated from their brother Legions, undertaking their own twisted version of the Great Crusade within the borders of the Imperium. The warriors who carried them out were doubtless of the Legiones Astartes, identified by their power, abilities and war gear, but their identity remained concealed. These actions were uniformly of a covert and hunting nature; surgical strikes, assassinations, sabotage, the recovery of unknown artefacts and the abduction of important individuals or entire groups for some unknown purpose. Such strikes, carried out both at the front lines and within the already Compliant worlds of the Imperium, were deadly accurate and seldom left any witnesses alive to tell directly of them. Nevertheless, rumors spread within the Imperium of an ever hunting and punishing force, forever restless until all who opposed would be silenced. Legion Organisation and Structure 'The Tribes of Mardum' *'Ebonspear' - great hunters, led by Adewale, the tribe in which Andezo was raised, deep connection to Mardum and its flora & fauna, unified and pacified Mardum, fought against the forces of Shaka & Andezo and was annihilated during the battle of Mardum Phantom Blade, coordinated assaults including artillery, fast units (mostly air units and vehicles) and infiltrators, the last terran born members of the XXth Legion, led by Thoruk, strong desire for honor and glory, strong honor code, see themselves as the embodiment of the Emperors will, disappeared after the battle of Mardum *'Skullripper' - Infiltrators, decorate themselves with shrunken heads of their slain enemies, joined the Black Raiders. *'Bloodlords' - First tribe to break it's ties to the Imperium, joined Alexos Travier and become a Khorne Daemonkin, fought against the Ebonspear tribe and lost. *'Bloodhand' - Along the Goredrinker, the Bloodhand was known for its savage assaults and bloodshed, annihilated on Terra. *'Goredrinker' - Along the Bloodhand, the Goredrinker was known for its savage assaults and bloodshed, survived Terra and became fierce followers of Khorne, rumored to have been cannibal (even while officially called loyal). *'Black Conda' - Known for launching lightning assaults assault via bikes infiltrators, like the Ebonspear, the Black Conda are deeply connected to the flora and fauna of Mardum, tamed and took a lot of Mardums Predators as their combat companions, disappeared after the battle of Mardum. *'Plainrunner' - Notable for their use of bikes and tanks, known as being honorable and closely tied to many other Legions, annihilated previous to Terra *'Skyspear' - Air assaults, believed in their superiority in aerial combat, annihilated above Terra Spirit Breaker, many shamans (librarians), obsessed in learning more about Chaos and how to defeat it, was ultimately corrupted by Tzeentch. *'Soul Eater' - Void combat, since their induction, the Soul Eater was amongst if not the most independence loving tribe, tried to usurp other tribes in order to gain more power, their leader Shaka gathered like minded members of the Predators, turned renegade and founded the pirate realm and its lords, the Black Raiders. *'Steel Born' - Tanks and artillery, highly disciplined and militaristic, believe in the superiority of firepower, those with the big guns, joined the Black Raiders. *'Storm Lord' - Tanks and bikes, like to announce their coming with battle hymns, loving explosions, everything that makes noise, honorable, though of Mardumian origin , they have close ties to the Phantom Blade tribe, disappeared after the battle of Mardum 'Specialist Units' 'Striking Shadows' The Striking Shadow Teams were an elite formation of the Predators scout companies. Formerly belonging to what is known as Seeker Squads; they did not halt at them and had refined the concept further in the form of the Striking Shadow teams. Responsible for acts of assassination and sowing destruction behind enemy lines mid-battle, their high-impact strikes were carried out by small, elite infantry units. These supremely skilled infiltrators specialized in preparing conditions of all-consuming chaos among enemy's ranks sowing confusion by eliminating key officers, positions and assets. In doing so, the Striking Shadows brought about a tipping point in a battle or an entire campaign, the fulcrum upon which the fate of worlds was balanced. Furthermore, they were often tasked to hunt down specific targets deep within enemy lines min order avoid total destruction of a city if only one person was needed to be hunted down. Striking Shadows teams were made up of the most skilled infiltrators, and were sometime fielded by the direct control of a Spirit Walker. If that was the cast, these specially trained Shadow Walkers had to sacrifice their eye-sight in order to gain the precious spectral sight of their gene father to find their prey or to locate well protected enemies. They worked closely with the Fire Claws Squads in order to destroy the enemy's defense lines as quick and effective as possible. 'Deathsworn' The elite of the Predators Legion were those Legionnaires known as the Deathsworn, veterans chosen not simply for their martial skill, but also because of their mental resilience and capacity for discipline and self-sacrifice; for these were values their Primarch held in high esteem. Tested and proven worthy in the heat of countless battles, these men used their superhuman physiology, their superior arms and armor and the teachings of their gene father to embody the doctrines of their Legion like no other. As their Primarch Andezo wanted his Legion to be a flexible force, members of the Deathsworn could be found everywhere within the Legion, fulfilling numerous roles throughout the ranks, rather than concentrated into elitist cadres. Though exceptions did exist such as warrior bands of Deathsworn, clad in masterfully crafted Terminator armor, who were formed to act as shock troops, line breakers or the leading officers bodyguard. Covered in ancient Mardumian runes of old which should granted protection, it was also common that members of the Deathsworn enhanced their abilities with special combat drugs, most of them being of Mardumian origin. By charging in the most intense areas of a battle or in following their leader into enemy lines, they truly earned their names. 'Fire Claws' The Fire Claws support Squads of the XXth Legion were an elite formation utilized by the Predators Space Marine Legion. Amongst most of the Legiones Astartes, it was the principal role of Heavy Support Squads to saturate an area or target enemy armor with heavy ordnance obliterating an enemy through sheer weight of fire. The Fire Claws elevated these tactics almost to an art, wreaking havoc and destruction in such a horrendous form that none could stand their wrath. Formed from the finest marksman the Legion had to offer, they ensured their brothers advance by well placed bolt shell and explosive blast. To ensure their enemies annihilation, the Fire Claw Squads make use of weaponry which was of little use or eschewed by their brother Legions. Though eschewing bio-alchemy munitions well, the Sons of Andezo made heavily use of rad-weapons, volkite guns and fearsome void bombs. Though being treated with distrust by other Astartes forces, the Fire Claws were an important part of their overall strategy to hunt down their targets or to utterly destroy the Legions foes. And even the greatest critics could not deny their brutal but effective way of waging war. 'Umizo Heavy Support Elite' On Mardum, the Umlizo had been those men entrusted to flush out beasts from the jungle, and sow panic among enemy war parties. This they did with burning spear and arrows, as well as crude incendiaries and gourds of acid, taken from pitcher plants and tied to their spears or dropped from high trees. While the Great Crusade brought very different forms of war to the people of Mardum, these skills remained highly useful, and Andezo quickly devised an elite force which would embody them among the XXth Legion. With volkite calivers, flamers and heavy bolters, they were adept at both destroying enemy war machines and instilling terror in infantry. Flanked by veteran tactical squads, they advanced behind the first ranks of their kindred in open battle, splintering resistance wherever it was found. It was common for them to serve in the first wave of a XXth Legion attack, immediately dealing a severe blow to the morale of their opponents. 'Avikelu Terminator Elite' Named for the hide shields favoured on Mardum, the Avikelu were the favoured bodyguard unit of Andezo and many of the Legion's high command. Recruited from the ranks of veterans who showed both a talent for close combat and the ability to keep a level head in battle, their prowess often saw them fighting as line-breakers or shock troops, suddenly loosed to overwhelm an enemy's morale. While categorised as a single collection of companies in the Legion structure, in practice the Avikelu were distributed throughout a Tribe, often on a squad by squad basis. The temperament of different detachment could vary considerably, as officers came to favour a single unit for a particular role. The ornate runes and Mardumian trophies that covered their armour and evoked such fear in mortals often testify to their specific role, as well as notable actions. To the less experienced eye, the function of an individual warrior could be discerned by his weapons. Those accustomed to bodyguard duties tended to favour storm shields and the Ikwala spears common to the Legion. Their more aggressive kindred typically went without, arming themselves with lightning claws and chainfists to augment their already terrifying aspect. 'Isivun Assault Bikers' Andezo’s innovation of heavy cavalry had been instrumental to conquering the plains of Mardum, and he worked to replicate it in his Legion. Just as the cycle of war and technology had made swords and armour viable after millennia of obsolescence, so did the gifts of the Astartes make it possible to revive this ancient school of combat. Mounted on heavily armoured 'breacher' bikes, the Isivun biker squads were optimised to shatter infantry resistance, striking hard and fast with a durability that Sky Hunter vehicles lacked. Their members were warriors who displayed exceptional skill as riders, and a fierce love of the hunt. Often they would deploy as the initial thrust of an attack, although Andezo was also fond of holding them in reserve as his first waves engaged a foe. Set down by gunships, the Isivun would emerge at full tilt as if from nowhere, roaring forth to spread mayhem and panic as they tore through the ranks of their enemies. As a consequence of their tactics and the durability of their mounts, the Isivun were known to mount more exotic weapons than the standard heavy bolter, building on their already terrifying aspect. 'Legion Wargear' *'Wristblades' - *'Nihilum-pattern Grenade Launcher' - War Disposition strength and materiel here Exemplary Battles *'903.M30 - Da Green Admiral! (903.M30)' - The XXth Legion, the Arcane Blades, is tasked to hunt down the cunning Admiral Da Bossa, who ravages within the newly risen Imperium. *'Discovery of the Apex Predator (914.M30)' - Andezo Sambedi is discovered. *'Castigation of Umare (945.M30)' - The worlds of Umare against Eldar and human allies, during this, Andezo can see human souls being devoured by wraiths (and is confused to see them here as well) while Eldar are spared of it *'The Quarith Triumph (000.M31)' - The Quarith Triumph: Alexandros ascends to Warmaster. The Predators are spread across the Imperium to hunt down rebels, renegades and rising despots. *'Alkaraxx the Twice-Born (042.M31)' - Andezo and his sons fight alongside the Lightning Bearers against a powerful chaos cult. Andezo and Icarion fight against its leader, Alkaraxx, who ascends to a demon prince. Alkaraxx reveals that mankind is nothing more than prey for them and as long as there are humans left, the demons will live on. Shocked by this revelation, Andezo tries to speak with Icarion about it but he only earns silence. *'The Day of Revelation (044.M31)' - The Day of The Insurrectionists under Icarion declare their independence. The Bloodlord tribe turns traitor as well and starts a campaign of bloodshed and genocide. It takes several years until they finally faced their end in form of their former brothers under Andezo himself. *'The Culling of Strathus Secundus (067.M31)' - While searching for answers regarding the Wraiths of his homeworld and the demons he had encountered and with the fights against his own sons and the demon Alkaraxx in mind, Andezo discovers a spreading cult of Nurgle called the Royal Apothecary led by a man called Putress. Along with members of the XIXth Legion, the Scions Hospitalier, the Predators declare the cult as their next target. On Strathus Secundus, the loyal sons of the Emperor can detain the last members of the cult. The battle which will later be known as the Culling of Strathus Secundus played a crucial role in the Predators betrayal and siding with Icarion. *'The Censure and Fall (068.M31)' - When the Emperor heard of the events of Strathus Secundus, he called out for Andezo. Censured and given a warning to not follow such a path again, Andezo was allowed to return to his sons. Though the censure did not matter much to him. Putress was still out there and needed to be judged. Andezo swore to stop him despite all odds, despite all sacrifices that might have to be made. As more reports came in about futile researches of his sons concerning a way to deal with chaos and saving mankind, Andezo finally gave up that hope. All what was left was the conviction that mankind itself was marked by the dark gods. Why else were the Eldar and Orks spared from the demons' hunger? He secretly contacted the only person beside his father who could answer him his questions: the arch traitor, Icarion. What exactly happened next is only known to the unlikely brothers, but whatever it was, it led to the subsequent joining of the XXth Legion to the traitors' cause. *'The Siege of Terra (071.M31)' - Icarion gathers all of his forces for a final and all deciding blow against the Emperor. They failed and barely made it out alive. The XXth Legion takes crucial blows, heavily depleting their numbers. *'The Scattering (072.M31)' - Defeated and greatly diminished in numbers, the beaten Predators return to their homeworld of Mardum. There, they meet with the Phantom Blades, the last terran born of the XXth Legion. On Mardum, the few remaining leaders of the Legion start to argue about their fate. While Thoruk and his men are still loyal and proposes to search for another way of defeating the evil forces of the Dark Pantheon and a way of redemption, Shaka and those born on Mardum believe that the only way for them is to follow the path Andezo had chosen. Andezo himself realizes what he had done and falls to the whispers of the Dark Gods. Becoming mad, he declares that mankind has to be extinguish in order to end the reign of chaos. Suddenly, Adewale appeared and confronted Andezo, condemning him for treason. A duel between the once beloved brothers occurred, while the two sides of the Legion fight against each other. In the end, Adewale tricked Andezo and caged them both with a stasis bomb. The Predators under Shaka retreat and scatter into smaller, renegade warbands. The still loyal members under Thoruk, who had not participated in the Siege of Terra, purged Mardum, assaulted the forges of the Shattered Worlds, took what they could need and resettled on Aukkaja within the Domain of Storms. Years later, they emerge from there as a loyal blackshield force known as the Storm Blades. Thus, the XXth ceased to exist. 'Legion Gene-Seed' 'Legion Beliefs' 'Legion Combat Doctrine' 'Notable Predators' *'Andezo Sambedi' - Andezo Sambedi, 'The Death Beyond Sight', the 'Last Son', Baron of Mardum, the 'Shadow Hunter', he is the Primarch of the XXth Legion. *'Adewálé' - Known as 'The Little Brother', 'The First Son' and 'The Stalker'. Adewálé was a Mardumian-born right hand of Andezo, beloved and respected by the whole Legion, he was the one to unite the two factions of Mardumian and Terran-born Astartes and turned them into a suitable Legion. Formerly the IzinDuna of the Ebonspear tribe. He died during a battle against Legion, since then, Andezo was not the same anymore. *'Cassus' - First Praetor of the XXth Legion. *'Thoruk' - Known as 'The Hidden Blade and 'The Son of Terra', Thoruk was formerly the first Praetorian of the XXth Legion (then known as Arcane Blades), now he is the IzinDuna of the Phantom Blades tribe, which consists of all remaining Legionaries from Terra. *'Shaka' - IzinDuna of the Soul Eater tribe, founder of the Black Raiders. *'Durot' - IzinDuna of the Black Conda tribe. *'Odanka' - IzinDuna of the Bloodlord tribe, the first traitor. *'Valakar' - Known as 'The Primarch's Blade', the 'Shadow Man' or 'Dalari', Valakar is a silent champion of the XXth Legion. He only speaks when it's necessary. He enjoys his role as the embodiment of his Legion's skill at killing. Eschewed by his own brothers, he walks the path of a loner, a man, who became his Primarch's killing blow. In this, he became a brooding character, one who stood for the ideals of the Emperor and his Primarch. In becoming a living weapon and bearer of the Legions philosophy, he surprisingly joined the ranks of the Black Conda tribe after the disastrous outcome of the battle of Mardum, in which his beloved Legion tore itself apart. 'Legion Fleet' 'Legion Relics' 'Legion Appearance' 'Legion Colours' The Predators primarily wear black armour covered in carved, ancient Mardumian glyphs and runes to protect against Wraiths (the Mardumian word for daemons). Each tribe is known to have their own unique symbol. The trim of the shoulder pauldron trim indicates the different tribes (i.e. Brown=Black Conda, Dark Green=Phantom Blades, ect.). The Predators tend to decorate their battle-plate with lots of bones, skulls and tokens of Mardumian carnivores taken from their homeworld as well as those of their slain enemies. leaders paint their faces in harsh, white colors. Most of them shave their heads, some of them (especially of the tribes living in the jungles and swamps) keep their hair, forming them into dreadlocks. Bears are favored by them, though not all (especially the Terran born) practise them. Can either be short or long enough to braid them. 'Legion Badge' 'Notable Quotes' Feel free to add your own 'By the Predators' Feel free to add your own 'About the Predators' Category:Legions Category:Loyalist Category:Insurrectionist